FAMILY TROGLODYTIDAE 



I03 



Measurements. — Males (10 from Los Santos, Herrera, Code, Prov- 

 ince of Panama, Canal Zone, and Colon), wing 51.2-54.2 (52.7), tail 

 34.4-37.8 (36.2), oilmen from base 15.7-17.8 (16.8), tarsus 18.5-19.8 

 (19.3) mm. 



Females (10 from Herrera, Canal Zone, and Darien), wing 51.1- 

 54.4 (52.1), tail 34.0-38.0 (35.4), oilmen from base 15.4-17.5 (16.0), 

 tarsus 18.2-19.5 (18.9) mm. 



Resident. Found locally in the Tropical Zone throughout the Re- 

 public, varying locally in abundance; found on Islas Gobernadora and 

 Cebaco, Veraguas, and in the Archipielago de las Perlas, where re- 

 ported from Islas Rey, San Jose, Pedro Gonzalez, Trapiche, Santelmo, 

 and Bayoneta) . To 2400 m in Chiriqui (trail between Cerro Punta and 

 Boquete, Eisenmann, July 13, 1970) ; 600 m on Cerro Pirre, Darien. 



The House Wren is widely distributed in areas of thickets and fringe 

 shrubbery, found in densely forested regions only where clearings have 

 been made. Normally the birds are in pairs, or for brief periods, in 

 family groups. They come into cities and towns, and about country 

 homes are regular attendants, searching corners, thatched roofs where 

 present, and any other concealing cover for their insect food. As they 

 move about, males sing constantly their rapid, bubbling songs, joined 

 regularly by the wheezy notes of the females. Nests of soft vegetable 

 fibers, often with a feather lining, are hidden in cavities, usually with 

 narrowed entrances so that eggs and young are completely hidden. 

 Construction is by both members of the pair, incubation by the female 

 alone, but she is fed regularly by the male, who also aids in care of the 

 young. In the breeding season from March to July (sometimes later) 

 three broods in rapid succession are usual, with young of the first family 

 frequently aiding in bringing food to those that follow. 



The eggs are white, marked rather heavily with pale to dark brown; 

 usually there are 3 or 4, rarely 5 to a set. They range in size from 16.7- 

 19.4 X 12.7-13.9 mm, with an average of 17.8 X 13.4 mm. 



Males sing more or less regularly through the year except when molt- 

 ing, with young males beginning rambling songs when 2 months old or 

 less. Full details on this species in Central America are given by Skutch 

 (Condor, 1953, pp. 124-149; Naturalist in Costa Rica, 1971, pp. 22-24) . 



Adult birds of this subspecies are fairly uniform in color throughout 

 the Isthmus, those from the base of the Burica Peninsula being similar 

 to those of eastern Panama. The only variation noted is in 1 male col- 

 lected in the uplands of northwestern Chiriqui within 15 km of the 

 Costa Rican boundary. This bird is intermediate between T.a. inter- 

 medins and the Panamanian inquietus, the entire upper surface and the 



